March is the favorite month of the year for Dawn Cottrell and Martha Hendricks, and for the same reason.

Dating back to 1994, March is when the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System has its annual student art exhibit, organized by Cottrell, the system's secondary lead teacher for grades 7-12.

Now in its 24th year, the exhibit features the talents of students from every school in the system. This year, more than 600 students are represented in the display at Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library, where Hendricks, library director, gets to enjoy it every day.

“The planning for this event never really stops," Cottrell said. "From the arrival of the students in August until the opening day of the exhibit, all of the art teachers in the school system are watching out for new pieces of art to display.”

MK Peterson, a 13-year-old seventh-grader at Rossview Middle, has on display an ink drawing of an elephant filled in with a variety of patterns.

“I like to draw just about anything, and especially animals," MK said. "I like to draw people, but that can hard at times. You want to make sure you draw the shadows the right way."

She said she'd like to pursue a career in animation.

Kaelee Baggett, a 15-year-old junior at Montgomery Central High, created a pop-culture take on the famous Grant Wood painting "American Gothic," substituting Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley for the classic farming couple.

“I prefer drawing to painting," Kaelee said. "Drawing people can be really difficult. The proportions of someone’s face have to be just right or the drawing won’t look right.

"Ever since I can remember I have liked to draw."

This is the second time Kaelee has had her art on display at the library, and she is working on a piece that will be displayed in the office of Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett.

“I think the first time I drew something was when I was 2. It was a picture of my mom.

"I love to draw dragons," Brystolyn said. "I draw all kinds of animals, but dragons are my favorite. I also like colors a lot. The more colors the better. Sometimes I draw things that use lots of different shapes. Those have lots of colors.”

FOR MORE

The exhibit is on display at the Clarksville- Montgomery County Public Library, 350 Pageant Lane. For more information, call 931-648-8826